Live8 has been created for more astute online casino players as a guide to the many available live dealer casino platforms that supply live game technology to online casino operators worldwide.

Online casino operators have been offering online live roulette, live blackjack, baccarat live dealers, Sic Bo and Caribbean poker to players for more than 10 years. It’s the closest you can get to playing a real casino online or on your tablet/mobile devices. At Live8 you will find top live casinos online as well as live casino reviews. Simply click “Top Casinos” to choose a live casino review!

All you need to know about best live casinos online

An exclusive insight look

Full live dealer casino reviews of our recommended live casino sites, operators and dealer studios.

Links to live dealer studio videos and demo games

Live casino online game reviews covering all major games, including live roulette, live blackjack, live baccarat, live Sic Bo, 3 card poker, live slots, craps, video slots, live dealer Texas Hold‘em, jackpot slots, live keno and other live table games

Learn about the fast live stream technologies that work in your country of residence

Learn about the smart live dealer native and mobile web apps for Apple and Android tablets and mobiles

Live casino bonuses are available to you when you choose to play with a live dealer casino including first deposit bonuses, your welcome bonus, free play coupons, repeat deposit bonuses, uk live casino bonuses free bet, live casino no deposit bonuses, free live dealer casino games and more

Live gaming tips and lessons from the pros including card counting, live casino strategy, live table game strategy, bonus money tactics, betting systems and more

Table stakes – high and low bet limits with each live casino operator, maximum bets for high rollers and table limits for the whole suite of casino live games

Where you can play – a full list of online betting jurisdictions so you know where you can legally play at a live casino online, including European, UK, Asian and North American markets

Live casino reviews – which live casinos have the most convenient up time, opening hours, most active dealers, working live chat interface and most attractive dealers

‘Superior in show’ live casino Technology – which live dealer casinos utilise the highest spec interface, camera set ups, studios and server stacks to ensure a decent live dealer games performance

LIVE CASINOS ONLINE - OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:

We have looked at opening hours, welcome bonus, live casino no deposit bonus, dealer quality, platform and live dealer studio technological capabilities to define the ‘ Live casino uk’ in live dealer casinos. Here is our list of the top 5 live casino UK:

1. CODETA

Offers players an authentic live casino experience from the comfort of their homes.Check Out Codeta

New customers only making an initial deposit of £10 or more. Neteller or Skrill are not eligible for this offer. You can only activate one of our welcome offers Maximum bonus to receive is £300 bonus needs to be wagered 35 times The wagering requirements of the bonus need to be met within 30 days of the activation date. Some games are counted differently towards the wagering contribution. Wagers made on most games contribute 100%, but some contribute differently: Slots 100%, Roulette 25%, Blackjack 25%, Casino Hold’em 25%, Baccarat 25%, Videopoker 10%, Dead or Alive, Blood suckers, Mega Joker and Jackpot 6000 10%; All other games 100%. Currency conversions are calculated as per following example; 10, £10, 100kr, $10 The terms and conditions of the promotion were prepared in English. If there are any inconsistencies in the translated versions, the English version shall apply Codeta reserves the right to edit, postpone or end the promotion at any time. General terms and conditions apply.

2. Mr Green

A top casino with great live casino online and state of the art studio and interface.Check Out Mr. Green

How does live casino work?

To begin with, start by asking “What does live casino mean?” and “What is a live casino dealer?”. Live dealer casinos use high definition video cameras twinned with state of the art card/ wheel/ ball scanners (depending on the game) – that’s basically how live casino work. The scanners and cameras record live casino game events (either in a studio or in a land based casino) and relay that information through bespoke software so casino players around the world can watch the action and bet against it in real time.

For example, if we look at live dealer roulette the operating procedure between a live dealer platform, a licensed online casino operator and an online roulette player will look something like this:

Croupier spins the actual roulette wheel and places the ball. The actions are replicated within a virtual feed.

Live video and virtual feed is sent through to operator’s website.

Player bets on their chosen inside and outside bets using the virtual interface.

The result from the real roulette wheel is translated to the virtual software and winning are automatically paid out to the player.

Once Winnings are paid the next game cycle begins

LIVE DEALER CASINO – A SHORT HISTORY

Many casino software businesses claim to have offered the first live dealer real money bet online.

Many casino software businesses claim to have offered the first live dealer real money bet online. It seems that the most likely flow of events involved a business subsidiary of Stanley (‘Doctor’) Ho, the Macau casino mogul. In the early 2000’s Dr. Ho’s casino manager Adam Anhang had been developing a product to stream live casino games through an interactive platform to online players. Anhang decided to leave the Ho business to set up on his own live casino, and in 2003 launched CWC Gaming (no longer trading) with Chris Piche.

Tragically Anhang, a Canadian national, was murdered in a supposed mugging in Puerto Rico in September 2005.

Piche continued to run CWC Gaming after Anhang’s death and provided live dealer casino games from a studio in San Jose, Costa Rica. Early CWC clients included UK betting giant Ladbrokes.

CWC Gaming provided the systems and studio for Evolution Gaming (now the biggest live dealer platform) in their early days and before they built their own proprietary software and studio in Riga, Latvia in 2006.

Now there are more than 15 credible live dealer casino platforms in existence servicing hundreds of online gaming operators and millions of customers around the world.

RECOMMENDED ONLINE CASINO LIVE GAMES

You’ll see below a summary of all the different casino table games you can choose from when you pick a live dealer casino.

You’ll see below a summary of all the different casino table games you can choose from when you pick a live dealer casino. However if you just want to pick our favourite live casino in the uk and start playing here are the top 3 welcome live casino bonuses and live casino no deposit bonus at live dealer casinos for the most popular games of live blackjack, live roulette, live dealer baccarat and live dealer poker:

RECOMMENDED LIVE ROULETTE SITES AND WELCOME BONUSES

LIVE CASINO BLACKJACK

Live blackjack shares many technical features with live dealer roulette, most notably a studio with game table, a live dealer, multiple high resolution cameras, an integrated software interface to convert the live cards to virtual cards, a monitor and a Game Control Unit, known as a GCU.

Live dealer blackjack shares many technical features with live dealer roulette, most notably a studio with game table, a live dealer, multiple high resolution cameras, an integrated software interface to convert the live cards to virtual cards, a monitor and a Game Control Unit, known as a GCU.

The GCU is a small box that tells the dealer what to do next. Actions include chat and relaying requests such as card, split, double or stay from the remote players. The monitor is a screen placed by the central camera that allows the dealer to see what is shown on player’s screens, their actions and any chat they need to respond to. It is through this monitor that the dealer manages player interaction and gameplay.

In addition, live blackjack tables have scanners that track barcodes or embedded chips in the cards as they are pulled from the shoe. Learn more about blackjack game bonuses!

You can see a typical live dealer blackjack set up in the graphic below:

Live Roulette Online UK

Live dealer roulette follows the exact rules of casino roulette. You are able to choose between American roulette (with a zero and a double zero) and European Roulette (with just a single zero) at any online live casino UK or others.

The house edge for European roulette is better for you the player at 2.70% compared to 5.26% for American Roulette. This being the case you should always seek out the European version of the game if you want to give yourself the a good chance of winning when playing live roulette. You will find European roulette on most live roulette sites on our homepage.

When playing online live roulette, live dealer platforms allow for an exponential amount of online players. This means that unlike in a land based casino, where you can see the betting patterns on the table it’s physically impossible to show every chip in lay (there could be millions!). However this is only likely to affect more superstitious players who follow winning bettors.

For more pragmatic roulette players you should be looking for the following attributes before choosing one of our recommended live roulette site for you:

Bet limits – does the platform offer the stakes you want to bet with?

Up time – what % up time does the platform claim to have maintained over recent weeks/ months?

Bonuses – what type of live casino bonuses are on offer and are there regular promotions

Licensed operators – it may be that you have accounts with certain operators and you only want to bet with them. For example if you manage your bankroll through one or two operators only. If this is the case then you can find your preferred operator on the Live Dealer Operators page here

Most live dealer roulette platforms will offer a variation of the below user interface:

Live Dealer Roulette Tables and Software

To learn about the rules of live dealer roulette, bet types, roulette systems and strategies or anything else related to the live roulette online uk, please visit our sister site, RouletteGeeks.com

Live Dealer Baccarat Online

Payers can choose to bet on either the banker’s hand or the player’s hand. The live dealer in the studio deals two cards to the player and then the banker.

Face cards and tens are worth nothing. All other cards are face value and aces worth one point. If the total adds up to ten or more the second number in the hand is the value of the hand, therefore if the player’s hand receives an 8 and a 4 adding up to 12 then the hand value is 2. To win, the player must bet on the hand whose total is nearer to 9 points.

Live Baccarat studios utilise exactly the same setup and configuration as live blackjack. In fact, many live dealer platforms simply switch the cameras across between the two games depending on the demand.

Live Sic Bo

Sic Bo is a frantic, fast paced live casino game popular with craps players and roulette aficionados and with live dealer casino players in the Far East. It isn’t offered by all live casino online platforms so if you want to play Sic Bo check out the Live Dealer Games page here (Link to Live dealer games page).

Although ‘Sic Bo’ actually translates as ‘dice pair’ you play the game with three dice.

There are various combinations of bets in live Sic Bo – you’ll see similarities with standard roulette bets immediately.

Live Caribbean Poker

Caribbean or 3 Card Stud poker is the only variant of poker that can be played against a casino and as such, the only poker variant to be found on live dealer platforms. With a house edge of 5.22% Caribbean Stud poker is one of the worst games to play on a live casino so should only be played for the fun of the game and not for to win big.

High Card – 3 cards of different values that aren’t consecutive and not matching suits.

Pair – 2 cards of the same value and one of a different value

Flush – 3 cards in the same suit.

Straight – 3 cards in consecutive order and different suits.

Three of a Kind – 3 cards of the same value when higher values beat lower values.

Live Dragon Tiger & Live Hi/ Lo

If you want to play the simplest form of gambling in a live casino then Dragon Tiger is the game for you. Available from Amaya/Ho Gaming in the VIP suite and through a select number of live dealer platforms Dragon Tiger is the same as High/ Low. The player can bet on either dragon or tiger (or in ‘high/ low’ on the high or low spot).

Ace is low and king beats all. Both the Dragon and Tiger spots pay odds of even money (so if you back the right spot you’ll double your money). If the cards match it’s a tie and the dealer/ house will take 50% of the player’s bet. The player does, however, have the option to bet on a tie with odds of 8 to 1.

Live Texas Hold ‘Em Poker

This is the closest you’ll get to a true poker game versus the house. The world’s favourite poker game variant, Texas Hold ‘em, is repurposed in this live dealer version.

As a variant of five-card poker the player is dealt two cards, which they have to use alongside the five cards in the flop. The aim of the game is to make the best 5 card hand.

Live Dealer Casino Hold ‘em rules go as follows:

The players start with an ante bet

Each player is dealt 2 pocket or hole cards (face up)

The dealer draws 2 cards (face down)

The dealer draws 3 cards for the flop

Players either fold and lose their bet or call. A call necessitates an additional bet of twice the value of the ante

The final 2 shared (community) cards are drawn by the dealer

The player wins if their hand beats the dealer’s hand, but the dealer’s hand must qualify to make the hand valid (i.e. their hand must be at least a pair of 4s).

A win in this case means the player wins even money on the call bet and a payout on their ante.

If the player’s hand beats the dealer’s hand and the dealer doesn’t qualify then the player will receive the call bet and a pay on the ante.

Live Casino Online Game Strategy

How to play live casino Roulette

The difference between American, European and French live dealer roulette

There are 2 distinct and commonly played types of roulette in live dealer casinos UK and around the world. The first, European Roulette is most commonly found in European live dealer casino studios. It only differs in one small but key characteristic from American Roulette – European roulette wheels have only one pocket for zero, whilst American wheels and game tables have a zero and a double zero.

This gives a house edge on European roulette at 2.70% compared to 5.26% in American Roulette, meaning you should always play European live roulette version when possible.

Learning the Rules of live dealer roulette will help you play the game better, give you an edge and help you to generate wins at any online live casino uk.

How to play Roulette

The key elements of a roulette game, whether in a casino, online or on a mobile device are the game wheel, roulette ball, bet table and gaming chips. In a land based casino you’ll also have a croupier – a role that is replicated online by platform providers in Live Dealer online casino versions of the game.

The aim of the roulette is to guess which numbered pocket the roulette ball will end up in once the wheel has stopped spinning. You bet using chips which you place on numbered spots, lines, boxes or junctions on the gaming table. In roulette, players bet against the casino (known as ‘the house’) not against other players. It should come as no surprise that the house has the edge when it comes to chances to win.

To learn more about the basic rules of roulette and understand betting strategy and live roulette systems have a look at our specialist roulette site RouletteGeeks.com

How to play live dealer Blackjack strategy

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino table games in the world and one that translates very well in its live dealer casino format.

Live casino blackjack is played with one or more fifty two-card decks. Kings, queens, and jacks have a value of 10 and other cards are worth their face value. Aces can be used as 1 or 11. The aim of blackjack is to get to a total as close to 21 (without going over) and at the same time to beat the dealer’s total hand value.

If you score 21 points with your first 2 cards it’s known as ‘a blackjack’. If the dealer also scores 21 with their first 2 cards then the hand is tied and the player gets their original bet back.

You start the game of live dealer blackjack by betting chips in 1 or more spots. Once all bets are on the table all players and the dealer are dealt 2 cards. One of the dealer’s cards is shown while the other is face down – it is this shown card that players must make their betting decisions against.

Players make decisions depending on the dealer’s shown card and the 2 cards in their hand. Options for the player are as follows:

Hit – Taking another card or cards to take your total closer towards 21.

Stand – You don’t want any more cards

Double down -You can take one more card and double your bet. You may choose to do this when you have a total of 10 or 11 as another 10 value card will make your hand an unbeatable 21 (and 10 is by far the most common card value in the deck).

Split – When your 2 cards in hand are the same value you can split them and take 2 additional cards in an effort to make 2 winning hands and enhancing your winning pot %. You must bet the same amount on your second hand as the first, so if the dealer wins, you will in effect lose twice the money.

Insurance – When the dealer is showing an ace (and thus has a decent chance of scoring blackjack) you can take what’s known as insurance. Most players see insurance as a poor value bet but this is an individual decision you must make depending on your game style, strategy and bankroll.

How to play live dealers Baccarat strategy

Baccarat, also known as Punto Banco is a famous casino game that translates well to the live dealer casino set up. Using a 6 or 8 deck shoe the dealer runs the game with a half circle of player spots in front of them. Every face card and all the 10s have a value of zero. Cards valued at less than 10 are given their face value, with aces given a value of 1. If a total value of more than 10 is reached then the left hand card value is dropped, meaning 14 is counted as 4 and 23 is counted as 3.

At the start of each game the players have the option to place a bet on Bank (Banco), Player (Punto) or ‘Standoff’. The dealer deals out two cards to each of the bank and player spots starting with the player spot. The aim of Baccarat is to pick the winning spot – that is the one with the highest single figure value. A third card can be given to either the player or the bank.

House edge in Baccarat

Banker (Banco) 1.17%

Player (Punto) 1.36%

Tie 14.12% giving an 8:1 payout

How to play live dealer Sic Bo strategy

Sic Bo is a Chinese game played with 3 dice and a game board. Live dealer Sic Bo is played with land based casino rules and looks/ pays exactly the same online. Sic Bo is both exciting and easy to play, and offers players a wide variety of options. Payouts range from even money up to 150 to 1.

The betting options in Sic Bo are easy to identify from the gaming table itself. The dealer will either shake and roll the dice or, more likely in a live dealer casino, they will activate a dice shaker under a plastic or glass bubble. When all players have laid their bets on the gaming board (via drag and drop or click and place functionality) the dealer will shake the dice.

When the die come to rest the game table will light up showing the result. The live Sic Bo table will automatically remove losing bets as in live dealer roulette.

There are 8 ways you can bet on a game of Sic Bo and we’ve listed these with simple descriptions here:

1) Three of a kind. There are 216 (6 times 6 times 6) combinations and only 6 of them can get you a 1 number win (which pays 150 to 1).

2) Two of a kind. This pays 8 to 1, with odds of 5.82%, as there are 12 ways of making a 2 of a kind.

3) Any 3 of a kind, whether 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2 etc and this pays at 24 to 1. The probability is still 6 chances out of 216 or 2.78%.

4) Small bet (this is a spot on the game table) paying even money. On a small bet you bet that the total of the three dice will add up to 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 excluding a 3 of a kind.

5) Big bet – like a small bet, you choose this area of the game table and this bet also pays even money. The sum of the three dice must equal 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 excluding a 3 of a kind.

6) 4 to 17. You bet on a number from 4 to 17, being the total face value of all 3 dice. Payouts for these number bets are as follows:

If the total is 4, winning bets are paid 50 to 1

If the total is 5, winning bets are paid 30 to 1

If the total is 6, winning bets are paid 18 to 1

If the total is 7, winning bets are paid 12 to 1

If the total is 8, winning bets are paid 8 to 1

If the total is 9, winning bets are paid 6 to 1

If the total is 10, winning bets are paid 6 to 1

If the total is 11, winning bets are paid 6 to 1

If the total is 12, winning bets are paid 6 to 1

If the total is 13, winning bets are paid 8 to 1

If the total is 14, winning bets are paid 12 to 1

If the total is 15, winning bets are paid 18 to 1

If the total is 16, winning bets are paid 30 to 1

If the total is 17, winning bets are paid 50 to 1

7) Duo Bet – You bet on 2 different numbers which must appear on at two of the three die and pays at 5 to 1.

8) One of a Kind bet – you bet a single number that must appear on one, two or all three dice. This is shown on the game table as 1, or 2, or 3, or 4, or 5, or 6.

The payout on a 1 of a kind bet is dependent on the following

If the number is one of the three dice, you are paid even money

If the number is on two of the three dice you are paid 2 to 1

If the number is on all three dice you are paid at 3 to 1

High risk Sic Bo strategy is designed for high stakes players who are looking to risk more in order to win more. High rollers love the excitement that this strategy generates and potential wins involved. When multiple bets come in on one roll, you can win big but your risk level is extended.

How to play live dealer Texas Hold ‘em

In live dealer Texas Hold ‘em it’s important to note that the payouts can differ between operators and platform providers so it’s best to check payout tables before you start playing. A decent payout structure should look something like this:

Main Hand Bets

Hand

Pays

Royal Flush

100 to 1

Straight Flush

50 to 1

4 of a Kind

40 to 1

Full House

30 to 1

Straight or Lower

7 to 1

Ante Bets

Hand

Pays

Royal Flush

100 to 1

Straight Flush

20 to 1

4 of a Kind

10 to 1

Full House

3 to 1

Flush

2 to 1

Straight or Lower

1 to 1

Step by step guide on how to play Live Dealer Texas Hold ‘Em

Once you’ve chosen your live dealer platform and operator of choice and your Texas Hold ‘em dealer, you need to place your bets. The dealer will give you 2 cards face up, known as your pocket cards. They will also deal themselves 2 cards face down.

The dealer then deals 3 flop cards face up.

You need to place an Ante, or enforced bet – this makes sure there is always action and you can’t just sit back and wait for ‘the nuts’.

You can bet on Aces, meaning you bet on the feasibility of Aces turning up during that hand.

The gaming software will let you know if you’ve made a winning hand with your pocket cards and the flop

Once the flop is dealt you can either call (to continue playing the hand against the dealer) or fold to quit the hand.

If you choose to call you will automatically bet twice your ante bet.

The dealer will deal out the turn and river cards then show reveal their two pocket cards. The live casino online software will then automatically award you the appropriate win depending on the value of your hand (see pay table below) and ensuring that your hand has beaten that of the dealer

If you and the dealer have the same hand, the winning player will be the person with the highest card.

Amaya, the global gaming behemoth that bought former Pokerstars and Full Tilt owner Rational Group has partnered with casino stalwarts Ho Gaming (part of Doctor Stanley Ho’s Macau based casino empire).

Australian, Eastern European. All fluent in English with limited alternate languages available

Owned By

Amaya is a publicly traded company based in Toronto

Up Time

Very good

Awards

No publicised

Market Availability

All regulated markets plus Russia, Germany, Canada, Mexico and Japan.

Licenses Held

12 European jurisdictions

Amaya/ Ho Gaming score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

8

Licensees

7

Hi Stakes?

8

Dealer Choices

7

TotalMax 40

30

Bodog Asia

About

Bodog Asia is, as the name suggests a casino provider focussing on the Far East market. An offshoot of the (in)famous Bodog B2C brand and in partnership with Ho Gaming Bodog Asia is one of the less well-known live dealer platforms.

LicenseesAff Links

Bodog88, Vera&John

Studio Location

Manila, Philippines

Live Dealer Games Offered

Baccarat, Blackjack

Positives

Localized games for Far East players

Negatives

Not tier 1 for European or North American players

Founded In

1994

Dealer Nationality

Filipino

Owned By

Bodog is a privately owned company

Up Time

N/a

Awards

None

Market Availability

China, Malaysia & Thailand

Licenses Held

First Cagayan/ CEZA Philippines

Bodog Asia score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

4

Licensees

3

Hi Stakes?

8

Dealer Choices

4

TotalMax 40

19

CODETA

About

Codeta calls itself the ultimate online casino experience for players who enjoy playing live games. The live casino is powered by EveryMatrix, an award-winning platform that offers a world-class selection of content from a library of 3,000+ titles.

LicenseesAff Links

N/A

Studio Location

Malta

Live Dealer Games Offered

Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Hold’em Poker, Dice games

Positives

Slick, modern casino with generous bonuses and a wide range of live casino games.

Negatives

Not available to UK and US players

Founded In

2006

Dealer Nationality

Maltese, Italian, East European

Owned By

Codeta is a private company managed and operated by EveryMatrix Ltd

Up Time

N/A

Awards

Casino.se Newcomer of the Year 2016

Market Availability

Most regulated markets, with some exceptions.

Licenses Held

Malta Gaming Authority, Curacao eGaming

Codeta score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

9

Licensees

6

Hi Stakes?

7

Dealer Choices

8

TotalMax 40

30

Entwine Tech

About

Formerly known as Entertasia, Entwine Tech is the most established and significant live dealer platform in the Far East. With a game suite offering almost every variant of the live casino games and outstanding security and up time they are one of the leading in the world.

Live dealer blackjack, live baccarat, live roulette, live Sic Bo, live Dragon and Tiger

Positives

1 Software, 2 Studios, 2 Experiences for players, Competitive Cost, Download and flash based offerings, Prolific game choice, Bonus System plug-in, Affiliate System plug-in, Full reporting system for business analysis, Cash and Credit Admin System for global markets, EntwineTech has been a Live Dealer solution provider for over 10 years, EntwineTech serves over 70 licensees worldwide. Our software can handle thousands of concurrent players in any split of second

Negatives

A better offering for players in Far East markets rather than European or North America

Founded In

2004

Dealer Nationality

Western and Asian dealers

Owned By

N/a

Up Time

Guaranteed 98.99% uptime & defense against DDOS attacks.

Awards

A Star of Software Company cited by First Cagayan, Nominated the Best software by The International Gaming Awards in 2010. Our licensee was nominated The Asian Live Gaming Operator of the Year by eGaming Awards in 2009

Evolution Gaming was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in London with its main studio operation in Latvia. By most comparisons the world’s leading live dealer casino platform Evolution offers great games, terrific up time, licenses to operate in all regulated jurisdictions and a stream of beautiful, well trained dealers. Headquartered in Malta the studios are in Latvia and they are registered in Sweden. Evolution Gaming remain the one to beat in the live dealer industry and in September 2015 signed a strategic partnership to run Microgaming’s live dealer casino operations.

The safe bet of live dealer casino platforms. As an innovator Evolution Gaming have led the way in this sector and any licensee will offer players a good experience in security, game options, stakes and dealer choice.

Negatives

Very few, other than they might not be the best platform for player in unregulated markets and the Far East

Founded In

2006

Dealer Nationality

Mostly Latvian, British and Eastern European

Owned By

Evolution listed on Nasdaq First North Premier, Stockholm on 20 March 2015

Up Time

Exceptional

Awards

2014 EGR Game of the Year. 2010 EGR Live Casino Software Supplier Of The Year and Software Rising Star of the Year

Live dealer blackjack, live baccarat & live roulette (multi variants of each)

Positives

An established and well-managed independent live dealer casino specialist based in Malta. A good selection of core games and high end back end meaning strong up time percentage MediaLive is a solid platform for the live dealer player.

Negatives

English language dealer focus and only a slim choice of operator licensees.

Founded In

2005

Dealer Nationality

Maltese & British

Owned By

N/a

Up Time

Very good

Awards

Not publicised

Market Availability

All regulated European markets and selected grey markets

Licenses Held

UK, Malta, Italy, Isle of Man, Latvia & Estonia

MediaLive Casino score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

7

Licensees

7

Hi Stakes?

8

Dealer Choices

7

Up TimeMax 40

29

Microgaming

About

Microgaming is a betting and gaming giant. Alongside Playtech the Isle of Man based company licenses games and platform technology to a significant percentage of global gaming operators. Their live dealer outfit has been updated and optimise over the years and is now the live casino platform of choice for some of theist named brands in European online betting. In September 2015 Microgaming signed a strategic partnership to retain Evolution Gaming as their supplier of all live dealer casino operations.

A solid live dealer casino platform with a state of he art Canadian studio as you’d expect from an industry leader. A good selection of game variants and top of the line technology.

Negatives

No Asian studio meaning Far East players won’t be serviced.Not a full spectrum of game variants

Founded In

2006

Dealer Nationality

Canadian

Owned By

Microgaming remains a privately owned company

Up Time

Very good

Awards

No publicised

Market Availability

All regulated markets and some grey markets

Licenses Held

Isle of Man and most European regulated markets

Microgaming score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

7

Licensees

9

Hi Stakes?

7

Dealer Choices

7

Up TimeMax 40

30

Playtech

About

Playtech sits next to Microgaming as a giant of global online gaming software. The Israeli company offers services across the whole spectrum from native app games through to payment processing. Unsurprisingly Playtech offers one of the most comprehensive live dealer casino platforms around and challenges Evolution Gaming for the Number 1 spot.

Playtech offers great quality live dealer casino games using a high technology platform and studio set up across its European and Asian sites.

Negatives

Not many negatives but their game suite is broader out of their Asian studio

Founded In

1999 (live dealer operation launched in 2009)

Dealer Nationality

British, Italian, Latvian and Spanish

Owned By

Traded on the London Stock Exchange

Up Time

Very good

Awards

Not publicised

Market Availability

All European regulated and grey markets plus multiple Asian markets

Licenses Held

United Kingdom and multiple gaming licenses around the world

Playtech score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

9

Licensees

9

Hi Stakes?

8

Dealer Choices

8

Up TimeMax 40

34

Portomaso Live/ Wirex

About

Portomaso Live uses live casino content from their Malta casinos serviced through Italian software company Wirex’s platform. For a small outfit, the feeds are very good and their platform is robust.

LicenseesAff Links

Portomaso Live only

Studio Location

Malta (on the Portomaso casino floor itself)

Live Dealer Games Offered

Live dealer blackjack, live baccarat, live European roulette

Positives

A solid offering for a small platform

Negatives

Only 1 licensee!

Founded In

N/a

Dealer Nationality

Maltese

Owned By

Portomaso Casino

Up Time

Good

Awards

None publicised

Market Availability

Italy

Licenses Held

Malta

Portomaso Live score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

4

Licensees

1

Hi Stakes?

6

Dealer Choices

3

Up TimeMax 40

14

Smart Live Gaming

About

SmartLive Gaming uses their own proprietary live casino platform combined with Microgaming and NetEnt technology.

LicenseesAff Links

Smart Live Casino

Studio Location

London

Live Dealer Games Offered

Live dealer blackjack & live roulette

Positives

For a smaller independent platform Smart Live holds a good account of itself, however it’s lack of operator licensees and capability to innovate/ differentiate make it a mid table option.

Negatives

Slim game choice and no Asian studio.

Founded In

2007

Dealer Nationality

British

Owned By

A Turkish umbrella business

Up Time

Good

Awards

None publicised

Market Availability

UK and regulated European markets plus some grey markets

Licenses Held

Malta

Smart Live Gaming score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

5

Licensees

3

Hi Stakes?

5

Dealer Choices

4

Up TimeMax 40

17

Visionary iGaming

About

Visionary iGaming’s website says a huge amount but really answers no questions a live casino player would ask. A third tier platform for live dealer players (as their tertiary brand licensee list would suggest).

LicenseesAff Links

FairwayCeltic, 5dimes, Castle, AceLive, AC Casino, Casino Extra

Studio Location

Live Dealer Games Offered

Live dealer blackjack, Live baccarat, Live roulette, Live Super 6 & live casino poker

Positives

Not many – it works as a live casino platform but there are many better out there

Negatives

Many – poor game choice, no Asian studio, few licensed operators, Spanish/ English language only

Founded In

N/a

Dealer Nationality

Costa Rican

Owned By

N/a

Up Time

Good

Awards

None publicised

Market Availability

Regulated and grey markets

Licenses Held

Costa Rica

Visionary iGaming score sheet (scores out of 10)

Live Game Choice

3

Licensees

2

Hi Stakes?

4

Dealer Choices

2

Up TimeMax 40

11

Vivo Gaming

About

Vivo Gaming is definitely a tier 2 live dealer platform and yet supplies a live casino game feed to some credible and established partners. With 25 (claimed) languages and operations in Costa Rica and Manila they have a broad reach but are not as technologically or operationally pristine as the leading platforms.

Real casino look and feel, Real-time interaction with dealers and fellow players, Easy to use intuitive interface with many exciting features, “Total Peace of mind” – same as playing in a real casino.

Negatives

Their website makes them look like a tier 3 operation and the lack of information on their regulatory license is unsettling. They have a decent roster of licensees and an average game suite but they can’t compete with the European leading platforms.

Founded In

2007

Dealer Nationality

USA / Filipino / Costa Rica

Owned By

N/a

Up Time

Good

Awards

None publicised

Market Availability

Regulated and grey markets

Licenses Held

Costa Rica and pending Philippines

Vivo Gaming score sheet (scores out of 10)

Up TimeMax 4020

Live Game Choice

7

Licensees

6

Hi Stakes?

4

Dealer Choices

3

XPro Gaming

About

XPro Gaming has been around for a while and has a very impressive games roster – one of the better ones in fact.